VIJAYTA NARANG

Non-resident researcher, NYU Peace Research and Education Program
Program Director, CIV:LAB

RESEARCH & FOCUS AREAS: Climate and urban innovation ecosystems, stakeholder collaboration, and sustainable development. Her work bridges peacebuilding, community engagement, and technology, emphasizing inclusive, locally driven approaches to urban resilience and governance.

CURRENT WORK:

• Leads CIV:LAB’s Climate Fund and Urban Innovation Ecosystem Development initiative in New York, implementing models for stakeholder collaboration across the city’s urban tech and sustainability sectors.

• Collaborates with NYU’s Peace Research and Education Program (PREP) on projects connecting peacebuilding, climate adaptation, and locally led development.

BACKGROUND
Vijayta leads climate fund and urban innovation ecosystem development in her role as Program Director for New York at CIV:LAB. Her focus at CIV:LAB is implementing models for stakeholder collaboration for the New York urban tech community in an inclusive manner.

Her professional background began in filmmaking and film producing in both New York and India. Her work ranged from advertising to feature films viewed by audiences around the world. She later worked in Mumbai for Third Eye, a leading qualitative market research agency focused on emerging consumer trends.

She has also worked with organizations such as UN Women and NYU’s Peace Research and Education Program, and in Nairobi, Kenya on peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development initiatives.

EDUCATION:
M.S., Global Affairs, New York University 
B.S., Film and Television, Boston University